Amare Aut Libido
by LuxaLovesLawnmowers
Summary: Ana is just a normal teenage quarter-demon living in the Magic World. She, like everyone else her age, adores Ala Rubra, hunts with her family, and lives a normal life with her many siblings. That is, until a young woman who goes by The Great Paru-sama blows through town. OC pairing, in a way...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

If you know me as an author and have a decent amount of respect for me, please just stop reading here. This fanfiction was written purely to see if I could do it. That's right- it's an Al/OC story. It's also a pregnancy (but now with Al) story. Or, more accurately, an Al-and-the-OC-wishes story. I wanted to see if it was possible to write an OC story that didn't make you throw. After writing this, I have decided- it's not. The beginning isn't terrible, so enjoy while you can.

This is dedicated to The Fanfiction Critic, whose reviews inspired me to write this. I'd like to kick you in the shin right now. Jerk.

* * *

Once upon a time there was a girl named Paru. Paru, although at the tender young age of 14, had an ample bosom and an even more ample imagination (usually applied to the arts of making yaoi). One day, ripped from her comfortable world at her junior high school and unceremoniously dumped in the Magic World, she had to rely on her wit and drawing skill, something she was well-renowned for at home. Paru traversed the Magic World, and, using her gifts to draw anything to life, earned lots and lots of money. In this way she ended up being able to buy herself her own air-ship, naming it the Great Paru-sama (coincidentally the same name many enamored men called her), and reunited herself with her lost companions. Paru's presence in the Magic World dropped a stone into a large pond, and the biggest ripple had the name of Anastasia Carus. Paru claimed responsibility for her actions, because she understood that she had toyed with both the affections of a teenager and fringed upon the rights of more than a few public figures (if the results had been different, Paru seriously doubted they would've minded).

This all happened when Paru rode into a small suburb of Vulcanus on a decorated chariot led by beautiful white horses. Sure, her drawings only lasted an hour, but the villagers couldn't tell that just by her entrance. The horses neighed and whinnied and stomped just like the real thing. She set up her tent near a major market, and sat outside of it with her sketchpad and a sign that said "Bring Your Fantasies To Life". Her customers would soon flock to her, regardless of whether the magic was permanent or not. The Great Paru-sama was not a liar.

Sure enough, within an hour she was swamped, drawing orders large and small. Wings for the wingless, women for the lonely, teeth for that old man who just wanted to chew something before he died...she felt like she was doing a service to society. Maybe she'd donate some of the profits to orphans. Eventually the crowd died down as dusk approached.

"Um...hello?"

Paru looked up. The girl in front of her was nervous and meek, but she could see potential. Her hair was a fiery red that sorta hurt Paru's eyes, but if she put it up in a cute style it could work. She had unnaturally pale skin and elongated ears, which was weird, but Paru didn't even blink. She'd already catered to a dozen Hellas kids and two of the Demonfolk. Her eyes matched her hair, and Paru found them the most noticeable thing about the teenager. They were entrancing, almost hypnotizing...Paru blinked. Damn it, this girl probably _could _hypnotize her. She needed to watch out for these sort of things in this world.

"Hello? Are you there?"

Paru dramatically pointed her winged pen at the girl. "Are you here for a fantasy?" she exclaimed loudly and dramatically.

"...Yeah."

"And what is your pleasure?"

"How much does it cost?"

Paru looked around furtively. "You look like you need cheering up."

"I do." said the girl wistfully.

Paru had already collected her projected daily earning, so she figured her nice deed of the day would go to this girl instead of the orphans.

"For you, I'll do it free," she offered. Then she repeated, "What's your pleasure?"

"Do you...do you know who Ala Rubra is?"

What a silly question. _Of course_ Paru knew who Ala Rubra was, because back home, where she was plain ol' crazy Haruna Saotome, she was the student of Nagi Springfield's ten year old son.

"Group of studly men who saved the world twenty years ago? Most of them went missing?" Paru also neglected to mention that she knew the location of two of those missing members. Hell, for a gossip, she was full of secrets.

"And Nagi Springfield?"

"Yep. Studiliest of them all, and therefore the leader. Got it down."

"And Jack Rakan?"

Paru actually wasn't too sure about that one. She wasn't much into muscles, so muscular men were automatically blocked from her mind. "Hmm...big black guy with the sword? The old Hellas guy?"

The girl nodded very hard. "That's him! Do you remember what they look like?"

Paru dredged up memories of Jack. "I think so. I know I remember Nagi, that's for sure."

"Do you think you could...no, I can't, it's too wrong...you'll think I'm gross..."

Paru's eyes lit up. A fellow yaoi fan, in the backwater of the Magic World? Could this be for real?

"You want to see them boning, is that it?"

The girl blushed a violent shade of red, matching her hair. "Er...yeah."

"Awesome! I'll draw you up a bed and your two hot men...which one do you want to be the seme?"

The girl thought. It looked like it hadn't occurred to her. "Nagi." she decided finally.

Paru grinned. "Interesting choice. Jack on bottom. I'd like to see that," She started to sketch the bed and paused. "Hey, would you by any chance like to be part of it? Because you'll be pretty..._frustrated_...if you don't." Unbeknownst to both Paru and the teenage girl, this suggestion would change Paru's life forever. Well...not really. It would change the _girl'_s life, and the life of a few others, but while the Great Paru-sama set the ball rolling she has but a small part in this story.

The girl nearly fainted from all the blood rushing to her head. "I couldn't possibly! That's...that's just!"

"No it just isn't," replied Paru cheekily. "So, yes or no? You'll regret it if you don't. Think about it, a chance to bed two of the world's most lusted after heroes."

The girl visibly melted. "Well...maybe. But I'm only seventeen..."

"Does that matter? I was fairly certain this world had very few set rules on those sort of things. Besides, I'm only _fourteen_."

The girl's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yep. The name's Haruna, but the way. And you?"

"Ana." Paru stuck out her hand, and Ana shook it. Then Paru concentrated on the task ahead of her, and ushered her guest inside her tent. Ana seemed both bewildered and excited, climbing inside the four-poster bed with curtains Paru had drawn up. Paru finished drawing Nagi and Jack and watched them come to life before her eyes. Nagi winked, and Jack pounded Nagi on the back in response.

"Hey," ordered Paru. "You're _my_ minions. Stopping having personalities and get in the bed. You're got to have lots of steamy sex with that chick in there, got it?"

"We can't have personalities?" questioned Nagi, confused.

"Not around me. Around Ana, yes. Get in there, you're wasting time."

Paru watched her ink creations clamber inside the bed and vaguely wondered if there was room enough for all three of them. Jack was a _huge_ man, after all. Her mind started wondering what he'd be like as the uke. She put away her Pactio momentarily so she could start sketching out a drawing. She may have just come up with a new story idea.

* * *

Ana couldn't believe how awesome her day was turning out. What had started out as another bland day hunting and selling animals with her brothers and father had turned into the romantic fantasy she'd always wanted. Every time a documentary came on about Ala Rubra she taped it so she could watch it over and over again. She was glued to the screen whenever Takamichi or Eishun were mentioned, and even paid attention when Governor-General Goedel made an appearance for a political function. Ana bought every issue of every magazine Takamichi had been featured in, and spent hours discussing with her friends where Jack Rakan, Nagi Springfield, Albireo Imma, and Filius Zecht could possibly be. Their theories ranged from underwater seaweed harvesting to the dark side of the moon. She even watched the crappy sitcom made about their lives (It was called "_The Ala Rubra Story_" and cast Nagi as a girl who fell in love with Jack, Filius Zecht as an orphan, and completely cut out Albireo because he wasn't "interesting enough", although history and Albireo's small but dedicated fanbase spoke otherwise).

Now she was facing the prospect of lots of sex with both Jack and Nagi at once. She was no whore- she'd been saving herself for that special someone and did not take her virginity lightly. But what better way for a fangirl to be truly happen to have her first time like this? It was an amazing prospect, and not one she was going to pass up. It wasn't like the real Jack and Nagi would've ever looked at her in real life, so she was gonna take what she could get, and by the looks of Jack's abs, she was gonna get a lot.

* * *

Yep. This was inspired by Haruna's EroEro Adventure, which I read one chapter of a while back. Then I got to thinking...heheheheheh...

Don't review. I don't blame you.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Yep. Another chapter. I'm uploading a bunch at once so I can ignore any instinctive longings for reviews. Sorry to burden you, readers.

Enjoy! :D

* * *

A week passed, and neither Paru nor Ana suspected anything was amiss. Ana, who throughly enjoyed her time with Jack and Nagi, returned home to continue life normally with her brothers and father, while Paru stuck around in their town, avoiding the officials as best she could. Paru may have done plenty of illegal things in her time, but this bounty was both unwarranted and unwanted.

She was talking to her youngest brother (other than the twins, who were only step-siblings), Claus, when the first sign of something amiss happened. A dog-eared boy walking past sniffed the air and turned to her, smiling.

"Congratulations," said the dog-eared boy. "Really early on?"

"Huh?" replied Ana. "What're you talking about?"

The dog-eared boy's eyes widened. "You don't know? Whoops, my bad. Well, I hope you'll take the news well. I can smell it all over you." Then he scurried off in such a way that Claus suddenly felt the urge to check if his wallet was still there.

"What was that about?"

Claus shrugged. "You _do_ smell kind of weird lately. Like milk. Having you been drinking a lot of milk lately?"

"No, not at all. Cow milk's way too expensive, you know that."

Claus scratched his head thoughtfully. "Have you done anything unusual lately?"

Ana thought of her fantasy escapade and blushed. Claus raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's a strange reaction."

"It was nothing. Um, maybe that was just some crazy pickpocket."

"He didn't take my money, so he couldn't have been too good if he was a pickpocket."

They resumed walking in the direction of the market, but they were both thinking hard.

"I've got an idea," announced Claus. "We'll go to the Miracle Worker."

"Oh, please, Claus, don't. That's a really bad idea," begged Ana, her stomach suddenly struck with fear. That old bat was a crazy as could be, and sometimes confused Ana for her sister, cousin, mother, and husband all at the same time. Every time she visited the Miracle Worker she felt like she needed a fresh dose of therapy.

The Miracle Worker was, as usual, drinking. They knocked on her door somewhat apprehensively.

"I'm so gonna hate you for this." muttered Ana.

"Yeah, yeah," chuckled Claus. "Whatever."

'I'm beginning to think you actually _like_ this crazy old woman."

"She reminds me of you."

Ana smacked him. "Jerk."

"Such a woman."

"Jerkasses are jerkasses regardless of gender." she retorted.

The door opened, and a toothless old woman with stringy gray hair appeared. "What d'you want?"

"Please, we'd like to know-" began Claus.

"Aw, shut up. I won't even charge you. You don't even have to come in. Congratulations, you're a father." croaked the old lady.

"What?" said Claus.

"What?" said Ana.

"Rat shit," said the old lady, deciding to add variety to the conversation.

She stared at Ana with beady little eyes. "Don't you trust me? I'm your stereotypical neighborhood witch. You're pregnant. Tell your husband over there that his life just went down the toilet."

"I'm confused," said Claus, who was, after all, only fourteen. He probably still thought that babies came from the giant dragon in the sky because no one had yet informed him otherwise. "I'm her brother."

The old lady cackled "Wow, family love runs strong, if you catch my drift."

They caught her drift and simultaneously gagged.

"I'm just her brother! I'm only fourteen! We're not like that!" yelped Claus.

Ana barely suppressed the urge to slap the old lady. "What do you mean I'm pregnant?" she asked, hoping it was a mistake. The only time she'd ever had sex was with Paru-sama's creations, and they couldn't _possibly_ get her pregnant, could they?

Rat shit.

"You're preggers! You're gonna pop one out in nine months, minus a week. Hope the baby looks like the father, 'cause you're not much to look at. "

"Neither are you," retorted Ana. "But...this can't be happening."

Claus was slowly coming to the realization that if his sister was pregnant, that must mean she had to have had sex. "Sis...you...you _didn't_?"

"Sorta..."

"With who?" whispered her poor, bewildered brother.

"It's hard to explain them..."

"Them? There was more than one? What gives, sis? Ana, you're not a whore! The hell?"

"It was Nagi and Jack, all right?"

Claus stared at her blankly, then turned to gazed at the old lady. Then he repeated the motion several times.

"You were right," he said in a bland tone. "This was a bad idea to come here. She's made you crazy. Did she feed you anything when I wasn't looking or something?"

"No, there was this gypsy teenager girl who could make drawings come to life and she brought Jack and Nagi back to life for an hour and I sorta...had..._you know_...with them."

"A...gypsy...teenager girl?" asked Claus disbelievingly.

"Yes, I'm not making it up, I swear! Her name was Paru...no, Haruna, and she was really nice, and she made me feel better, and oh god, what's happened?"

"Haruna the gypsy teenager."

"It's true!" pleaded Ana. "I swear it's true!"

"...Yeah."

A winged pen suddenly shot through the air and imbedded itself in the wall behind Claus. There was a loud outburst of maniacal laughter.

"I, the Great Paru-sama, have arrived, and I will clear up any and all misunderstandings! I am the creator of romance and love!"

"Where the hell did you come from?" asked Claus.

Paru shrugged. "I've been living with the old lady. Free board and she doesn't turn me in for a bounty. Good deal all around."

Ana was so relieved to see Paru that she hugged her. "Oh, Paru, I've got no idea what's going on, she said I'm pregnant, but that's not possible is it? Because they weren't real, were they? Paru-sama, you'll fix this, won't you?"

Paru laughed crazily and stuck her hands on her hips. "Trust in me, young padawan. I will not lead you astray."

"So you understand what's happened?" asked Ana, very relieved.

Paru shot her a triumphant grin.

"Not at all."

* * *

Review if you want.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

I decided that if I was doing an OC fic I should go all out. People with weak constitutions are welcome to stop reading for fear of OC overdose.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

They sat in a circle, Paru, Ana, Claus, and the Miracle Worker. Three out of five of the people present were drinking some form of alcohol, and Ana felt rather left out.

"How could I possibly be pregnant?" asked Ana for what was probably the billionth time.

"Here's how I figure it," replied Paru cheerily. "When you had sex with my golem-Jack and golem-Nagi, something extraordinary happened."

"Well, duh." said the Miracle Worker.

Claus took a swig of rubbing alcohol, and Ana remembered that her brother was only fourteen and probably shouldn't be drinking. She reached for it, and Claus rolled his eyes and kept it out of her reach. She made a face at him and he put it down, sighing.

"When I create a drawing-golem, they and everything about them are only around for an hour, nothing more, nothing less. Bodily fluids are included in this (don't ask how I know this), and they also disappear after the hour period, which is why I figured you couldn't get pregnant or STDs or anything like that. But, and I just thought of this, what if the egg inside of a woman is fertilized before the semen disappears? You can't un-fertilize an egg, and the role of the male sperm is done. It's the woman's body that develops the egg into a baby." explained Paru.

"And you think this happened to me?" asked Ana, horrified. This would be the end of any career she was going to have, not to mention dashing her hopes into getting into Ariadne. She couldn't study if she had a baby to take care of! And the father wasn't even real! She didn't know if it had been fake Nagi or fake Jack, and she couldn't exactly talk to the real ones, because not only did they not have sex with her and were therefore not responsible or her child, but they were both missing!

She suppressed tears. This sucked. Her one indulgence of a fantasy was going to ruin her life.

On the other hand, she know carried the child of one of the most famous heroes of all time, whether it was Jack's or Nagi's. She squelched that proud part of her and returned to despairing. She looked at Paru, who was chewing her lip.

"This is my fault," Paru decided. "I'm going to take responsibility. Ana, I'll take care of you if you want me to, although that'll mean having to move around a lot. I promise you I can find a safe place for you to go. By safe, I mean _really_ safe, and we can take care of you, although I don't know when you'll be able to return to this town."

Ana glanced at Claus, who was looking at her with a mix of apprehension and sadness.

"You'll have to talk to Dad," said Claus sadly, worried about his older, stupid, sister.

Ana swallowed. Shit. She had to tell her father, her stepmother, six brothers, and two half-brothers that she was pregnant.

This was not going to be fun.

* * *

Ana shuffled her feet. She'd gone home, Claus and Paru in tow. They'd had to wait until all of her brothers and her father got back from hunting and her stepmother got back from her job at the mall. There was no way Ana was going to say this twice.

Now, as she stared at the big red eyes of all her close family, she lost her nerve. Paru poked her in the back. "Get moving." she hissed.

She shuffled her feet. "Um...hi."

"What did you want to say, honey?" urged her step-mother, Sophia, who was a half-demon with the eyes, tail, and mind of a fox. She had married Ana's father five years ago, a marriage that still boggled Ana's mind. Why would Sophia, who was young and beautiful, want to marry an old codger like her father? He had a large build and a strong jaw, and still retained vestiges of handsomeness. He was a half-demon, and so Ana and her siblings were quarter-demon themselves, but this had virtually no manifestations except pointed ears, red eyes, and the occasional power-up at awkward times, such as using the toilet or changing clothing.

Her father cleared his throat. "Hurry up, Ana."

"Give her a break, Alex," said Sophia soothingly. "She's nervous."

"And I'm bored," grumbled Mullin good-naturedly, Ana's sixteen year old brother. He had long black hair and usually carried an array on hunting knives, now being no exception. Ana sometimes worried no one would ever want to date him. Ana's mother and father had been very busy when it came to making children.

Paru poked her again, and she stuttered, mostly without thinking, "A-Ala Rubra got me pregnant."

There was a general silence.

"I knew they'd think you were crazy," muttered Claus.

"Smooth," snickered Paru, then tried to stay serious due to the gravity of the situation.

Feeling the confused eyes of her family on her, she tried to explain. "Um...I mean, it was really only Nagi and Jack..."

"Nagi..." began Lucciola.

"...and Jack." finished Dio in similar disbelieving tones. They were the older set of twins, age twenty-one, and they were identical, although if you looked closely you could see that Lucciola's hair was a slightly darker shade of blonde than Dio's.

"You're crazy," said Crispin affectionately, swinging his stockinged legs over the table he was sitting on. He was currently dressed in a frilly dress that could only be described as "goth lolita". Ana would've thought he was a real girl if she hadn't known better, and wondered how Crispin managed to hunt in that thing.

"It's true," protested Ana. "I'm pregnant. It really wasn't on purpose, but Paru-sama had this fantasy thing she made out of drawings..."

"Pause button for just a second," said Rome, who was twenty-three and the village playboy, although in a village their size that really just meant he attended all the dances while looking nice. "You're pregnant? For sure? Just making that certain."

The second set of twins, her four year old half-brothers, started arguing. Sophia said sweetly, "Keitaro, Keniichi, why don't you go play outside?"

The two boys ran outside, and Ana desperately wished she could follow them.

"Yes," she sighed. "I'm pregnant."

"Cool," grinned Tobias, her oldest brother at twenty-eight years of age. He had been a victim of the falling rocks of Ostia, losing three of his limbs in the disasters of the post-war period. He'd since augmented them with cybernetic limbs, but he'd become a bit cynical after spending his childhood in a wheelchair. Their first mother had died five years later of a disease that had been stirred up from the ruined islands, only a month after Claus was born. "Who can I beat up?" he continued.

"No one," she said, her voice cracking. "You can't beat up anyone. The father isn't real! It was an illusion of the real Nagi Springfield and Jack Rakan, and now the illusions are gone and so I'm stranded."

"No you're not, stupid," replied Crispin promptly. "You have us."

Taking in all of her family, who still loved her despite her stupid mistake, she cried at the prospect of leaving them all. Her father growled suddenly.

"She may _not _have us,"snarled her father. "What the hell were you thinking? I thought I raised you better than this!"

"I was just trying to have fun..." she sniffled. "It's was stupid, and now everything's messed up."

Sophia placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Relax, honey. I was only seventeen when I had the twins, wasn't I?"

"That was different. We were married, and I'm taking care of you. For Merlin's sake, I'm _real_, aren't I?"

"Mom was only seventeen when she had me." piped up Tobias, voluntarily bringing up their mother for the first time in memory.

Ana bit her lip. "I'm really sorry."

"I'm going to need some time to handle this," said her father angrily. "I'm not sure I want to see your face for a while."

"That's awesome!" proclaimed Paru, bad timing and lack of tact as usual. "Because I've pledged my protection to her, and she has to come with me to the Old World for that!"

All nine family members stared at her.

"Wait, first she's pregnant," said Mullin gloomily. "Now she's leaving."

Dio examined his manicured nails (painted by Crispin). "I hate babies. Maybe it's for the best."

Lucciola smacked him lightly. "Don't be rude. Brutal honesty is never nice." he said somewhat redundantly.

"Thanks," muttered Ana. "You guys all hate me now, right?"

"Nah," replied Tobias cheerfully. "But I'm not denying you're stupid."

"I'm just astounded that you got pregnant before I accidentally became a father myself," said Rome, in a startling moment of honesty. For him, it was almost profound.

"We all are," grinned Tobias.

Crispin smiled and said, in a typical backhanded compliment, "You'll be a wonderful mother. I'm sure you'll lose your figure, though, since you never put any effort into your appearance."

"So is she coming with me to the Old World or what?" asked Paru.

Alex glanced at his wife stormily. "What do you think?"

"I think, pregnant or not, it's an opportunity we can't afford to pass up," replied Sophia. "Look, almost all passage to the Old World is blocked right now, and if this girl says she can take our daughter there it'd be ideal. You _know_ I can sense danger coming, and I want to get anyone I can out of it. The Old World is safe, much safer than here."

"It would be like rewarding her for being irresponsible."

"Don't you want grandchildren before you're sixty? Tobias doesn't get laid, and Rome uses condoms, so this is the first real chance we get!" beamed Sophia.

Tobias and Rome simultaneously scowled at the accurate descriptions of their sex lives.

"That's not the problem. How do we know we can trust this Paru?"

Haruna coughed loudly. "Hear me, hear me."

"Stop being stupid," hissed Claus.

"Sorry. Anyway, I'd like to tell you that I have the Nagi Springfield seal of approval, and I'm actually on my way to find the real Jack Rakan. The real ones, not the ones that Ana met, although I can draw those up right now if you want."

"You know the real Nagi? He's missing!" gasped Crispin melodramatically.

Paru plunged forward with her lie. Hell, she knew Negi, and that was close enough, right?

"Yes! I have also met with the enigmatic Albireo Imma himself, and he firmly stands by my side!" She _had_ met him...even if she was one of many at his tea party and had mostly spent the time admiring his looks, not getting him to "stand by her side", whatever that meant.

"Albireo Imma?" asked Crispin in awe. He rather liked Albireo Imma, as he was very attractive and seemed nice.

"Albireo Imma's a pervert," reminded Mullin. "Ever seen the footage from the war? He's always got a sneaky smile on his face, like he's thinking about panties."

"Maybe you think that 'cause _you're_ always thinking about panties," snickered Dio.

Mullin blushed but did not deny the claim.

"I also have the support of the entire Mahora Academy behind me, including Konoemon Konoe, who is the father-in-law of Eishun Konoe! If you trust Ala Rubra, you have to trust me!"

Alex sighed. "Damn it. Anastasia, you know you've been an idiot, right?"

Ana nodded sheepishly.

"Good," suddenly Alex crossed the room and enveloped her in a big hug. "Do what you have to, and come home safe and sound. And child of yours is welcome here."

Ana smiled and hugged him as tight as she could. "I love you."

"I love you too, bear."

"We better get going. I've got an appointment with a used air-ship salesman I have to keep," said Paru reluctantly.

"Now?" cried Ana in dismay.

"Yeah...sorry," said Paru apologetically, and she actually did sound sorry.

Ana spent the last few minutes hugging and kissing all her relatives, clutching Claus especially tight and thanking Tobias for his support, however cynical. Then she and Paru had to go, and she ended up crying in front of all of them. She didn't feel ashamed, just that her life was changing so fast and wishing it could be different. She was already homesick for the hills and mountains of her home.

She was going out into the world, and she wasn't sure if she would survive.

* * *

If you're wondering, her brothers and parents are named after other anime/voice actors. Claus, Sophia, Alex, Mullin, Lucciola and Dio- Last Exile. Names may be the same, but personalities are drastically different. Crispin and Rome are named after voice actors, Crispin Freeman (who I love) and Rome Elliot (who I hate) respectively. Tobias, if you really, really, squint, is named after the bird-boy from Animorphs. Keitaro and Keniichi are named after Love Hina and Oh My Goddess, two other wonderful harems. Anastasia herself is named after the first librarian, fitting for Albireo's connections with this story.

There. Wow. Reviews are bitterweet love. XD


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Another chapter. Jack Rakan is present. Woot.

Enjoy!

* * *

The next few weeks were chaotic. Ana travelled with Paru and met all of her classmates and friends, such as Chachamaru and Asakura and Sayo and Yuna and Makie and so many others she couldn't begin to name them all. The days went by in a whirlwind, and she was only vaguely aware of the sense that her life was changing, changing very quickly and far beyond her control, changing even the way she thought. The world was bigger and scarier than she'd thought it was, and she wasn't sure how to cope with that. Everything went by too fast, so she just tried to sit back and take it all day by day, hoping Paru's promise of safety would come to fruition. She felt like an idiot for trusting Paru, since she _was_ the one responsible for her pregnancy, but they wasn't much she could do about it now. She would just stay in the back, hope no one noticed her, and make it to the Old World with everyone else.

That was, until she met the _real_ Jack Rakan.

She had never been more embarrassed in her life.

Ever.

Paru had said something about meeting a friend, and she dragged Ana with her. Ana trailed behind the group of giggly fourteen year old girls with hearts full of love and fists full of steel, wondering how the hell this class got to be such a powerhouse.

At first she didn't even see him, just saw the ten-year old boy who greeted them enthusiastically. She barely even noted that he was number one on the wanted list, since everyone there was on the list themselves. He was adorable enough, although she didn't quite understand why they were fawning over him.

Then she saw him.

Big shoulders, red shirt, dark skin,_ huge_ muscles...who else could it be?

Her stomach dropped and never came back up.

Oh dear sacred rocks of Ostia.

Jack Rakan.

He looked down, way down, because while Ana wasn't short, Jack was so freaking' huge and tall that he looked down on fully grown men.

"Um...hi." she squeaked.

"Another one of Negi's girls? For a ten year old, he's a regular stud," boomed the man, amused. "Takes after his father."

"N-Not exactly," she mumbled.

"Then who are you?"

"I may be pregnant with your child!" she blurted. Paru snickered with perverse enjoyment.

"Way to tell him," she chortled. "Real subtle."

Jack blinked. "Did I have sex with you? It's hard to remember sometimes."

"N-No, well, kinda, _I_ had sex with _you_ but _you _didn't have sex with _me_."

"I'm sure that cleared it up," chuckled Paru.

Jack looked seriously contemplative, as contemplative as a large hunk of muscle could be. "I'm not sure it works like that."

"Nagi was there too!"

"You saw Nagi? Damn, girl, you work fast. He's been missing for ten years! Might want to let Negi know."

"N-No, it wasn't like that...it wasn't _really _him. It wasn't you, they were art golems, and they got me pregnant, and there's a fifty-fifty chance the baby's got your DNA." she said shakily.

He thought for a moment again. Twice in a minute was rare for him, and it looked hard. "Not my problem," he decided. "If it wasn't me, I don't need to take responsibility. Sorry, but it's your problem. This isn't my ass to wipe."

Her heart sank, but she realized he was right. "It's okay. I understand."

"I hope you and your kid do well. See ya!" And he walked off to tease someone else, leaving Ana crushed.

"You can't expect much else from him," comforted Paru, somewhat badly. "He's not known for his generosity."

"I'm just scared," she cried. "I'm not ready for a child. I can't do this alone."

"You won't be alone!" reminded Paru exuberantly. "I'm here! We're all here for you, Ana, you'll never be alone!"

Suddenly worried, Ana had to ask one thing. "What about when I go to the bathroom?"

Paru lowered her hand quickly. "Okay, that's one exception."

Ana couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Reviews are bittersweet love. :D


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

The reason I just tell you what happens to Ana a lot of the time is because I just don't want to write it all out. I have better projects to work on. XD

Enjoy! :)

* * *

After she met Jack, she stayed clear of him. She saw glimpses of him every now and then, and even watched the Ala Rubra movie with the rest of the girls, but she did her best not to speak to him. Jack didn't seem to notice, but Jack didn't seem to notice much of anything- he was oblivious to almost everything around him except booze and panties.

Eventually, after battle after battle that she had virtually no part in, they finally made their way to the Old World. She really couldn't believe it. She, a normal half-breed, was going to the _Old World_! She'd only learned about it in school, she'd never even imagined she could go to Ariadne, let alone the Old World!

She was two months pregnant before they finally made it to Mahora Academy. It was awkward, to say the least. The Old World was confusing, full of automobiles and rich people with big shiny buildings and fake smiles, although Mahora was a little more to her taste. The age difference between her and class 3-A became apparent when they returned to her classes and she was left out, wondering what she was going to do. She stayed with Paru for about a week before they were summoned to the Headmaster's office for a meeting.

The old man had a mischievous smile on his elongated face when they arrived. When asked, he said they would talk when they reached their destination. They were accompanied by a tall, white-suited man named Takamichi and a small girl, one of Negi's students. She bore a suspicious resemblance to the Dark Evangel, but Ana was afraid to think about the possibility of being near the most dangerous criminal in history. She was sure it wasn't good for the baby. Paru seemed to recognize where they were going, but Ana just saw it as a library. A very large, slightly dangerous, library, but a library nonetheless. The sheer volume of books there made her mouth water with temptation.

They descended an impossible amount of levels until they reached a set of huge black doors. A dragon was perched in front of it, and Ana shrank in fear, but the Headmaster just held up a note and the dragon flew off.

Inside there were trees and lakes and a huge mansion- a very beautiful sight, if Ana hadn't been too busy being in awe. They were _underground_. The magical power it would take to create this area was so immense that Ana couldn't comprehend it. She followed Paru and the Headmaster until they were at a spacious terrace complete with a a gorgeous view of the lake.

Seated at the table in front of her was a man whose face she knew well, one that was plastered on every poster and billboard back home. A man whom she had never expected to meet in the flesh. Albireo Imma. Albireo Imma was sitting across from her. So Paru hadn't been lying when she said she knew Albireo! He raised an eyebrow at her flushed stare.

He gestured at the four open seats. "Konoemon, Anastasia, Haruna, Kitty, why don't you sit down?"

The blonde girl growled. "Al, I hate it when you call me that. Sooner or later I'll snap and crush your brains...if you actually had any."

Ana wished she hadn't heard that, because now there was no doubt in her mind that this was Evangeline A.K. McDowell, the Dark Evangel. She was so screwed. She was in the same room with three of the major power-players of the magical world, and why? Because Paru's magic got her pregnant.

Paru poked Ana. "Huh? I hate it when they speak English."

Konoemon overheard he and cast a language barrier elimination spell, and Paru relaxed. They took their seat while Konoemon restrained Evangeline from attacking Albireo.

"I assume we all know why we're here." said Konoemon, the first to speak.

Ana stared down at her hands. Konoemon shot her a comforting smile. "Anastasia, don't think you've done anything wrong. You're seventeen years old, and your actions are perfectly understandable. If anything, it's Haruna-chan who should be held responsible for this turn of events. She infringed on the rights of individuals when she started her business."

Haruna said sheepishly, "Hey, it's not my fault they're famous."

Takamichi sent her the kind of stare that made his nickname "Death Specs Takahata" totally justified.

Ana bit her lip. "I'm just worried." she whispered.

"Completely understandable," assured Konoemon. "But we need to talk about your living arrangements."

"My living arrangements?" echoed Ana.

"Yes. I understand that Haruna-chan made a promise to protect you?"

"Oh, that...yes."

"Then it shall be so. However, I cannot allow you to live in the middle-school dorms any longer. Please do not take offense, but you would not be a very good influence on the girls, no matter how much they have taken to you. And I cannot room you in the high school for similar reasons. I _could_ set you up in a small cabin near the edges of campus-"

Evangeline glared at Konoemon with an intensity that Ana hoped could never be replicated. It seemed this group was good at meaningful glances.

"But I doubt the isolation it would involve would be appreciated, and Eva here might tear out my throat if I mess with her current living arrangements."

"Grrr." said Evangeline calmly. Ana wasn't sure exactly how to convey the ferocity in that single "grrr".

"My only option, therefore," continued Konoemon. "Is to ask a great deal of you. How do you like books?"

Ana was taken aback, and Albireo was watching her with an upturned mouth. "I-I like reading. I spend a lot of time reading."

"Do you find the Old World overwhelming?" asked Konoemon.

"Well...honestly...a little." she admitted.

Konoemon nodded. "Good. I think you may like what I have in mind. How would you like to live here?"

Her eyes widened. "You're joking!"

"No, I'm not," he replied, smiling. "Does that surprise you?"

"Of course! I'm just a country girl from the magic world, I couldn't ever expect to see a place like this, let alone ever live there!"

"You wouldn't be alone of course," said Konoemon, suppressing his laughter. "This is Albireo's place, and he has kindly offered his home to you for as long as you need it."

Ana covered her mouth with her hands. "No way. This is unbelievable. I-I couldn't!"

Evangeline turned to her with a very grave expression. "I'm so sorry."

"Huh?"

"I really, truly, am," she added. "I would rather die than live with that old lecher."

Albireo's smile did not fade. "Why, thank you, Kitty. That's the nicest thing you've said to me in a long time."

Eva turned a deep shade of angry red, rather like a beet. "How? How could you _possibly_ take that as a compliment?"

Albireo winked. "You'd rather die...but you didn't say you'd rather, say, be in eternal hell."

Eva fumed. "You're incorrigible."

"I try my best."

Ana remembered what Mullin had said about Albireo Imma being a pervert and hoped it wasn't true...although with how things were looking, it probably was. Crispin was an Albireo fan, but Crispin's judgement was..._questionable_, to say the least.

She was going to be_ living_ with him? Would he try to take advantage of her? No, a member of Ala Rubra would never prey on a two-month pregnant teenager.

"What do you say, Ana?" urged Konoemon gently. "We will provide you with top-notch medical care and everything you could possibly need. You may not get to go aboveground often, but this place is spacious, and we will send visitors down periodically to keep you two company."

"If...If Albireo-san really isn't bothered..."

Albireo tipped his head slightly. "I wouldn't have offered otherwise."

"Then do you accept?" asked Konoemon.

Takamichi cleared his throat. "I'm just warning you- if you say no, we'll probably have to send you to live with Eva, which would be unpleasant for everyone involved."

Eva gave Ana a look that spelled out exactly what would happen to her if she chose her. She glanced at Al, who was wearing a suspiciously happy smile, and the apoplectic vampire, and decided that Al was the preferable choice.

"I'll stay," she agreed.

Konoemon sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

Al stood up. "Excuse me, I have to get some more tea. I might be a while."

"I'll get it." offered Ana.

"That's all right," replied Al merrily. "You see, I'm giving you all a chance to talk about me. We talked about you when you weren't here, so it's only fair."

He bustled out of the room with the teapot and tray, and Ana stared at her hands.

Konoemon cleared his throat. "There _are_ some things I need to address. To be honest, I am doing this as much for Albireo as I am for you."

"I don't understand." Ana glanced at Eva, whose expression was, surprisingly not peevish, but serious.

"Albireo is a very strong man and a contester for the most powerful mage that ever lived. I won't go into his story much, because that is his alone to tell, but it is because of his immense power that he is in the predicament his is in now. I presume you witnessed the final battle between Negi, Fate, and the Lifemaker?"

Ana nodded, feeling a little like a bobble-head.

"Albireo was, as I'm sure you know, present at that battle. Until that point it was impossible for him to leave the recesses of this Library, his real body trapped even farther below ground than we are now. He had to make do with an illusion of himself for ten years, usually confined to this area but occasionally able to venture out onto Mahora grounds." explained Konoemon.

"But why?" asked Ana, hoping she wasn't being presumptuous.

"Long ago, his mind was tied to the Lifemaker's in a way that no one else's ever has been. It is due to this that when the opportunity came up ten years ago to seal the Lifemaker for good, he was the only one to which the Lifemaker could be bound. The humans who sealed Albireo- Nagi and Arika Springfield- both suffered dire consequences. Arika died there, while Nagi's whereabouts are still unknown. Albireo's real body has been in a stasis for the past decade while he battled the Lifemaker's energy, a task very difficult even for him. Now that the seal is slowly breaking, Albireo's body can be slowly returned to a non-magical zone one step at a time."

"How does this involve me?"

Takamichi was the one who spoke next. "We didn't know it until recently, but ever since Al's gotten his body back it seems he's been in extreme pain. He is such a master at self-control that we didn't know this until his body gave out in one of our talks and he fainted right in front of me. We'd like you to keep an eye on him."

"B-But Albireo-san's my superior! I'm not even close to his level! How can I take care of him? I wouldn't even know how!" protested Ana.

"Please, just try to make him take care of himself." urged Konoemon.

"He is the reason we can all fall asleep at night," added Takamichi. "Without Albireo, you wouldn't be safe."

"When you put it like that...But how will I tell if he needs help?"

"You'll have to watch him closely," answered Konoemon. "And you can be honest. He knows what we're talking about right now, he just doesn't want to explain it."

"Is he embarrassed?"

"No, he just likes to look mysterious." sneered Evangeline.

"He's good at it." said Ana awkwardly.

"Why thank you!" chuckled a deep voice directly behind her, and she jumped. Turning around quickly, she saw that Albireo had returned with a fresh pot of tea. She hadn't realized his voice was so deep! He seemed to read her mind and smiled at her with half-lidded eyes. She couldn't decide if he was trying to look mysterious or trying sultry, but the result just made him look half-asleep.

"Perfect timing," announced Konoemon. "We were just finishing up. You'll stay, Ana-chan?"

"Yes...when should I move in?"

"How about now?" suggested Konoemon.

Ana fell back into her chair in shock. "_Now?_"

"We can get your belongings sent down, and I'll have Shizuna-sensei and Ako-chan come down to give you a check-up tomorrow. Why waste time?"

"I-I guess that's fine..." she squeaked. Konoemon Konoe _seemed _nice, but was truly a master at manipulation.

Takamichi and Evangeline stood up along with Konoemon, accompanying him to the door. As Konoemon left, he stopped and turned for a moment.

"Oh, and Ana-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of him. He was my favorite elementary school teacher, and I'd hate to see him waste away."

Konoemon left, and Albireo chuckled.

"He thinks so little of my abilities..."

Ana stared at him in bewilderment. "Elementary school teacher? But Konoe-san must be at least eighty years old!"

Albireo patted her on the head, a bit condescending from someone barely taller than her.

"Don't think about it too much. You'll get used to it."

Ana sighed. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Reviews are bittersweet love! :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

This is where her relationship with Al starts to begin, although I don't know if you really could call it a romantic one...

Enjoy! :)

* * *

Albireo led her up a staircase. She stared at the railings and felt very small all of a sudden. The items in that room alone could have paid for her family's living expenses for a year. She wondered how big the mansion was, and looked out a window to see beautiful bridges and tall towers right next to her. It was even more amazing than the floating rocks of Ostia, or at least it was to her. The huge trees surrounding it only added to its mystique.

She pressed her hand against her stomach. What would it be like to raise her child in a place like this? Would she be allowed to stay here that long? She wondered if Albireo was qualified to teach every subject and felt certain he was. There were enough books there to fuel the minds of ten thousand scholars, at least. She wondered if she'd be able to go up to the surface, because her child would probably be lonely without other children its age.

Albireo motioned to a row of doors ahead of them. "Those are the bedrooms. Mine is the one farthest from where we are now. You can have your pick, although I'll warn you- none of them are used very much. Headmaster Konoe and Kitty stay over once in a great while, but the rest have been untouched for many years. I'll touch them up with magic if you'd like."

"Wow...how many bedrooms _are_ there?"

"Eight, counting mine."

"This place is huge! Who built it?"

"I did, a long time ago."

"By yourself?" she gaped.

"Magic goes a long way."

She couldn't believe it. Even with magic, this building was so unbelievably complex that there was almost no way one person could build it. It would take a team of mages to build a normal-sized house back home. Was Albireo that powerful? He _was_ a member of Ala Rubra, after all. She chided herself for even doubting he had the power.

She peeked in a couple of the bedrooms as they passed and practically drooled at the lavish decorations and huge four-poster beds. They had a little dust, but hell, at home she skinned dead animals, so a little cleaning certainly wouldn't hurt her.

She followed him to a huge room, airy and peaceful, where bookshelves lined the walls and comfortable armchairs were placed at intervals. "I spend a good deal of time here," said Albireo. "The books here are mostly my favorites, ones that I'll pick up for light reading."

She eyed the books in the shelves- thick, leather-bound volumes that made her brain hurt just looking at them. Is that what he called _light_ reading? Albireo caught her eye and winked. Then they continued on their journey around the mansion.

"This is the main library," said Albireo, gesturing to a huge room with thousands and thousands of books. "You'll find nearly every book ever written here."

"Even trashy romance novels?"

"Even trashy romance novels," confirmed Albireo with a smirk. "Konoemon supplies me with new books."

"Do you actually read them?"

"I don't have much choice, do I? This place isn't exactly brimming with things to do. I hope you like to read."

"Oh, I do...the library near us shut down recently, so I haven't had access to books in forever..." sighed Ana.

"You're in the right place. Come this way, I'll show you the kitchen."

The kitchen was as grande as the rest of the building, and Ana could see that Albireo only used a small portion of it. He showed her the luscious bathrooms, complete with large hot tubs, and the beautiful gardens, which were well-tended with obvious care.

"That's about it," Albireo finally finished. "The rest of the rooms are either sealed off, storage space, or filled with bookshelves."

"Let me guess," said Ana. "Mostly bookshelves?"

"My," said Albireo, his voice caked in fake saccharine. "Aren't _you_ clever?"

Ana shifted from foot to foot. "Are there any chores you'd like me to do? I'd be glad to help."

Albireo shook his head as if humoring her. "No, that's quite all right. I do the chores by magic, unless I get bored. If you really want to you can, but I think your time could be better spent."

"Doing what?"

"Reading, of course."

"Okay," she agreed. "When's dinner?"

"I'll meet you on the patio at eight. You can wander anywhere you want until then."

"Okay." she said meekly.

She did what he suggested and wandered around the mansion, in and out of rooms she was sure she'd never see again, bushing dust off huge tomes of unidentifiable literature. It wasn't organized in an identifiable order, and she found Arabic books next to English books next to books in Taiwanese and Romanian. It took her hours to locate a book in a language she could read, until she picked up a book in a strange language and realized that there was a large language spell on the whole house, and that she could read any of these.

She sat down in an armchair and almost sank into it, sighing in happiness. She read one book for a couple hours before heading up to the dining room where she was just in time for dinner. The dinner was simple, but delicious and home-made. Albireo was an amazing cook with years of practice, and she thanked him profusely for the meal.

Then she read some more and retired, where she had a little difficulty sleeping due to being in an unfamiliar place.

Her life became day-to-day, waiting and reading and waiting more. The only break from the monotony were her physical exams and visits from Paru and her classmates. She was almost looking forward to doctor's visits just because it was a break from the dreariness.

She saw very little of Albireo as the days went by, only eating meals with him, and because of this it took her some time to notice anything wrong with him. At first it was little things- a shaking fork or a slightly pale face, but soon more signs became apparent. Albireo's meals were slowly decreasing in quality, and he seemed even more preoccupied than usual at dinner. His smile was strained, and he would sweat profusely. It was only because Ana paid close attention that she noticed these things.

Then, out of nowhere, he didn't show up for dinner. There was no dinner, no food, no awkward small talk around the table, no smiling facade that he hid himself behind. He just wasn't there. She cooked for herself that night, and it was a lonely dinner. Even though they didn't talk much it was nice to have another person around to stave off the stifling loneliness. She wondered how Albireo could have possibly been able to bear it for ten years.

Slightly worried about him, she checked the private rooms for him, peeking into his elaborately decorated room with chagrin. She checked the bathroom, main reading room, and balconies before delving into the depths of the library to search for him.

She spent hours searching for him, long into the night, and by some stroke of luck she stumbled across a body leaning against a bookcase. At first glance, it looked like Albireo was only sitting and reading a book, but if you looked any closer you could see that he was practically immobile with pain. His face was deathly pale, and he looked dehydrated and sickly. He was trembling with cold, and his robes were tightly wrapped around him in an attempt to ward off the chill of the lower library. When he saw Ana he looked up through sweat-soaked bangs in relief, his tired face turning up in a smile.

"What luck," he rasped. "I was hoping you'd find me." His voice was surprisingly calm, and Ana wondered with shock how many times this had happened, only with no one to come to his rescue.

"What should I do?" she asked worriedly. She reached for him, but he stopped her by raising a shaking hand.

"Don't," he said. "You're pregnant. I would not endanger you or your child for the sake of myself."

"But-"

"I will live, Ana. Humans are much more fragile. Do not waste too much energy on me."

Ana slid down next to him, sitting on the thickly carpeted floor. She felt his forehead and exclaimed, "You're burning up."

He nodded. "I know." He slowly pulled up the hem of his skirt to reveal his legs, which were entirely purple and black and emanating a dangerous magical current. Ana could see the marks of an incredibly complex seal and evidence of an impossibly high-level demon. He also had really hairy legs, and she simultaneously felt a wave of sympathy and the urge to laugh. He saw her expression and said wryly, "I've been trying not to clog up the drain for you. I thought you might find it disgusting."

"You...shave your legs?"

"Yes, I-" Al's wide smile was broken off by a bout of coughing so intense that Ana was horrified to watch. When he finished his hand was coated in blood.

"Oh my...are you okay? Do you want me to go get something?"

"Don't worry, it's mostly lung tissue, not blood," he shrugged, pulling a towel out of his sleeve and wiping it off his hand.

"Didn't you notice you were hurt earlier?" she asked.

"I seem to have overestimated myself and came down here to read a little ancient scripture in the morning."

"Ancient...scripture?" asked repeated, turning around to see that the books behind her were indeed very, very old. She tried not to touch them, awkwardly holding her back off the bookshelf, and in doing so, accidentally falling over onto Albireo, who was unable to move.

She went face-first into his vest, which smelled mostly of sweat and sickness, although she could detect a deeper, more masculine scent underneath. He struggled to pull her up, and, realizing he needed help, got up herself.

"Next time...A-Albireo-"

He winked tiredly. "Call me Al."

"Okay, Al...um...please, if you feel sick, come to me."

"Ah, I remember now. Konoemon put you up to that."

"N-No, I...it's not like that. It's lonely down here, and being injured and sick doesn't help, and ten years alone can't have been fun, so I thought, even though I'm just a stupid kid, my company might be better than nothing, so-" She blushed as she realized she was rambling.

"If you insist." he said, his voice strangely sad.

She discarded her own mage's cloak and draped it over Al, who surprisingly didn't protest, just accepted the gesture. She found herself holding him as he passed out from exhaustion, letting his head sink into her lap as he slept. She put her hand to her stomach, wondering if her child would ever do the same thing. She sure hoped so, because she had never felt more special than at that moment.

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Reviews are bittersweet love! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Enjoy.

* * *

In the days that followed, Albireo was ever so slightly more open about his weakness, never complaining but asking her to help him out when he needed it. If he couldn't quite finish dinner he would let her know and she would do it, watching him to make sure he didn't collapse as she did so. If she was reading somewhere and he appeared, she knew it meant he needed help, and she would get him to a chair or, hopefully, his bedroom. He almost never some physical signs of his pain, but when he said something she took him at his word immediately.

At the same time, Ana was changing. She was starting to gain weight, and she often felt sick in the morning. She was a little more irritable, and had to go to the bathroom all the time. Her stomach was growing just a little more rounded, and she found herself putting her hand there to see what she could feel increasingly more often. Albireo almost never mentioned her pregnancy, not even when Shizuna brought a doctor down to see her.

On the down side, she began having terrible nightmares, ones where her family and her friends were killed, always ending with her in mortal danger, hiding unsuccessfully. She felt stupid for even having the dream, but it was so vivid and scared so much, that she couldn't take it anymore, and ended up tiptoeing to Albireo's room, a place she had never before ventured to go, always stopping outside the door, trusting Albireo when he said he could make it to his bed.

She knocked on the door, holding in her tears and hoping he wouldn't be asleep. He heard a soft "Come in," and she quietly walked in, rocking on the balls of her feet.

His room was plain, with a stack of books by his bed. There were two photographs next to his bed, and Ana recognized Ala Rubra in one of them and the Dark Evangel in the other. There was a small hand-painted doll sitting next to them, but the rest of the room was curiously devoid of personal items.

Albireo himself as sitting upright in his bed, looking perfectly healthy and awake. He was wearing a nightgown, and it was the first time she'd ever seen him out of his mage's cloak and skirt. He was reading a very thick book, but put it down as she walked in, smiling gently. "Is something the matter?"

She nodded slightly, afraid to speak in case the flood-works started pouring out.

He patted the thick, handmade comforter his legs were under and said, "Sit."

She obeyed him gratefully, sliding under the comforter. "Thanks."

"What's on your mind?"

She opened her mouth to speak but found that she couldn't. Tears sprung up out of nowhere, and she unsuccessfully tried to wipe them away. She was trying not to sniffle when she was suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace, strong arms around her, protecting her. She bawled then, letting her tears seep into his nightgown, relishing in his hug. She gripped his hand and found that, instead of being delicate and soft like she'd thought, it was large and calloused, as though he worked outside every day.

He murmured softly in her ear, whispering words of comfort that sounded strange coming out of his mouth, and she just tightened her grip on him. When he finally extracted himself from her, he was smiling softly. "Why don't you sleep in here tonight?" he suggested.

Under normal circumstances, she would've backed away, making up some sort of excuse, but tonight she didn't worry about Albireo's possible perverseness, just snuggled up against him under the covers. He slept with an arm around her, and she noticed for the first time how big and warm he really was.

* * *

Reviwes are bittersweet love. :D


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

I am a shameless Albireo fangirl, aren't I?

Enjoy! :)

* * *

It was another two weeks before she really spent time with Albireo again. She hardly saw him during the day, and only when she wandered outside did she realize why. It turned out that the gardens that she had thought were managed with magic were actually tended to by hand. She found Albireo weeding dandelions out of his flowers gardens one day. When asked, he said that gardening was his hobby, something to keep him occupied. She asked to join him, and he made room for her. She worked _alongside _him, but she could tell from the way he treated her, politely and courteously, that he wasn't working _with_ her. Ana supposed she was just an annoying house guest to him, disrupting his simple, peaceful life.

She allowed herself to drift into a daydream where she _wasn't_ pregnant, where her life was free, maybe even where Albireo thought she was beautiful and worthy of him, where he loved her the way she..._admired_ him, because that's what it was. That's what it _had_ to be. Ana knew she couldn't fall in love with Albireo, not when her life was at such a crucial turning point.

She was strolling past the bathroom one afternoon when she heard a weak yell. Slightly embarrassed, she peeked in the bathroom to see a dark silhouette behind the shower curtain.

"My hero," said a deep (but weak) voice, and Ana knew instantly that it was Albireo. "Where would I be without you?"

Ana rushed to the curtain and almost threw it aside, but Albireo's voice stopped her. "Ana, hand me a towel, please."

"Oh," said Ana, blushing. "I forgot."

She handed his a fresh towel, waited a second, then thrust the shower curtain aside to reveal a very tired, very naked, Albireo Imma smiling wearily at her. The towel was over his lap, and he was shaking with cold, his skin tinged slightly with blue. The glowing seals on his legs had spread to his lower chest, and although she tried to ignore it, there was a large burn scar on his side, a brightly colored Yakuza tattoo on his back, and massive amounts of blue chest hair.

Ana bit her lip. "I wish we spent more time together," she found herself saying. "Then I would know when to worry about you." She reached for him, but he stopped her, his expression unchanged.

"I might need a second to clean myself up." he said calmly.

"Clean yourself...up?" she repeated, not getting it.

"Ana, I was masturbating." admitted Albireo, the smirk on his face widening a fraction.

"O-Oh..."

"Ten years is a long time to be alone...but that's not the point. Could you turn away?"

"Y-Yeah, sure..."

She turned her back to the wall and heard his labored breathing, as though he were heaving trouble with this simple task.

"Are you all right? Do you need my help, Al?"

"No...I'm fine."

"I can do it. I'm not _entirely_ innocent. I'm _pregnant_, after all."

"If you really want to..." whispered Albireo. He sounded...she couldn't put words to it. His voice was composed, but she could sense an underlying mortification. She could tell that Albireo was ashamed by the prospect of Ana taking care of him like this.

He avoided her gaze when she wiped him clean and didn't even mutter anything perverted when she helped him out of the tub, his privates in full view. She rummaged around in his drawers to find his bathrobe, draping it over him as she wiped the wet hair out of his eyes. Now that he was out of the water he seemed to be dozing off, and she helped him get to his bedroom, where he slept extremely fitfully, calling out in his sleep and writhing in pain.

When he woke, his expression was neither sleepy nor in pain. It was unusually grave, and the sight of his handsome face in such a state made her sad. He saw her and his face brightened a fraction.

"When the seals reach my heart I will die."

"What?" she cried, aghast.

He smirked at her earnest reaction. "Don't sound so scared. It's for the best, really."

"How can you say that?"

"When I die," he continued relentless. "I will come back to life, and the demon will get stronger or weaker, it depends."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "If it gets weaker?"

"Then I have finally begun my real recovery."

"And if it gets stronger?"

"I have another long bout with hell."

"That sucks ass," blurted Ana. Embarrassed, she covered her mouth with her hand. He laughed a long, quiet laugh, that unbeknownst to him, sounded more sad than amused.

"Yes, I agree. But what can I do? It's not something I control. Ana..."

"Yes?"

His eyes were the same blue as the ocean and just as dangerous. "Do you have anything precious to you? Any items you hold dear?"

"Why?"

"I'm curious," he admitted. "I've never been able to have that luxury. I outlive most everything. I cannot keep anything with me for long, unless I want to kidnap a pyramid."

"A stuffed animal my mother gave me...a pendant for the same reason...my brother Crispin's nail polish because he's been looking for it for ten years now..." Ana giggled a little, then grew serious again. "And my memories."

Al propped himself up on his elbow. "Memories...that's all I have to prove my existence. But what if memories are false? We could've been created this exact moment and never know it."

"I never thought about that..."

"Don't, it's confusing. It's something only a man like me would spend my time on. It's pointless wondering, for it is a conundrum that will never be solved."

"Conundrum is a weird word."

"The word conundrum thinks the same about you." hummed Al.

"It thinks I'm a weird word?"

"Yes."

Al was smiling, but he looked haggard, so Ana said, "I'll go, you should get some rest."

"No...would you stay?"

Ana felt her heart skip a beat. "You want me to stay?"

Al felt his self-control slip in the wake of his exhaustion. "I'm lonely, Ana...I don't want to be in pain and alone, not again."

Ana slid under the covers, the bulge of her growing stomach making her feel awkward. Albireo apparently had no such qualms, because he fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Reviews are bittersweet love! :D


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

"Hey, sexy, how you doin'?" crooned a new female voice as it strutted in the room. Ana and Al looked up from their reading to greet whoever it was who had come to visit. Ana was nearly seven months pregnant now, and Al had taken to staying close by her, as his condition had worsened and she too needed to be careful.

"Hello, Haruna-chan," greeted Al, who Ana, as always, was secretly worried about. The turtleneck he wore was covering his arms, so you couldn't see the purple magic seals enveloping them, but they had spread to his chest and were close to his heart. He was languidly reading a book, his cloak and vest off because, she suspected, the fabric was constricting his ability to breathe.

Haruna had arrived, as always, unannounced. Ana was glad to see her, because Al's conversation lately had been puzzling and hard to follow, as he'd frequently kept slipping into other languages and dozed off sometimes.

"So, Pervert-san, how's it cooking?"

Al raised an eyebrow. It amazed Ana to see how well he could hide his pain. "Hello, Haruna-chan. How's my great-granddaughter? Keeping up with school? Or still drawing those racy comics?"

Haruna winked. "You know you love them," She turned to Ana. "He has a whole shelf hidden in his room."

"For a little bedtime reading," Al explained. Ana wasn't even surprised that Albireo read Haruna's yaoi comics, although she was a little curious at-

"DId you say _great_-_granddaughter?_" she yelped.

Haruna plopped herself in a chair. "Yep. He worked here, too. Wanna see the yearbook? It's ancient, from the twenties."

"The _1920s?_"

"What can I say?" said Al flippantly. "I'm an old man."

Ana looked at Haruna, then Al, then Haruna. "You don't look anything alike."

"The genes got diluted," shrugged Paru. "You should see my grandfather, what was his name..."

"Kiba Theodore?" reminded Al.

"You named your son Kiba Theodore?" sighed Ana, beginning to feel resigned to Al and Paru's joint craziness.

"My wife did," said Al. "She was..."

The words died in his mouth as Haruna glared at him, and he cleared his throat and said, "Amazing! She was amazing! Not crazy at all..."

"That's what I thought," said Haruna smugly.

Ana tried to hide her shock at these revelations. She had known Albireo was old, she just hadn't thought about _how_ old...or what being old meant. How many children did Albireo have? How many wives? Was every new one just another notch on his belt?

Albireo caught her look and winked. "Don't worry, Ana, I've stopped marrying. I'm getting too old for it. Haruna-chan's great-grandmother was the exception."

Ana couldn't help but feel an iota of disappointment. She wondered if he'd ever make another exception...and it wasn't like she'd die a spring chicken. Even with her diluted genes, her demon blood would keep her alive for a long time. If Albireo lived a few centuries longer than others...so what?

She banished the thought from her head. She was_ pregnant_, after all.

She couldn't believe she'd once thought Jack and Nagi were hotter than Al- he was forever sexy.

* * *

Ana and Al sittin' in a tre, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...

Reviwes are bittersweet love! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Wow, I can't believe how quickly we got to the birth chapter. It's almost as though I've been uploading nonstop for an hour...

...oh, wait.

Enjoy! XD

* * *

Ana squeezed Shizuna's hand. "I can't believe this is happening," she whispered. "I'm not ready."

Shizuna patted her hand comfortingly. "We'll give you the best care, don't worry."

Ana gave her a tight smile. She'd really been worrying about being a mother. She'd been so isolated from the world lately that she was worried that the world wouldn't accept her as a teenage mother, and she didn't know how she'd fit in with the Old World if she had to stay there. The portals to Magicus Mundus were all closed now due to the Lifemaker, and she had to wait to go back.

Ana's contractions had started a few minutes earlier, and she had contacted Konoemon via Al's Pactio card (he apparently had one with him too), and Shizuna and Ako had quickly hurried down at record speed. They had converted one of the bedrooms into a delivery room, complete with all the equipment needed. Shizuna, although she worked at Mahora, was a qualified doctor. They had planned to use some of Al's magic to ease the pain of childbirth, but his health had deteriorated so badly that he was confined to his bed, so they were going to use conventional painkillers.

Ana was wearing a very loose skirt and a blouse that she dearly hoped she wouldn't sweat through. This was scary. She wasn't prepared for this! Dammit, dammit, dammit...

She suddenly tensed, feeling a very large and ominous presence behind her. She turned slowly, and to her eternal horror, saw the beaming face of Jack Rakan.

Shit. Why was _he_ here? She didn't want to be reminded of his rejection while in the pain of labor!

He looked very pleased with himself. "Hell, I thought I should show up. This child could be mine, after all. Change of pace."

He was there because he thought it would be a change of pace! Ana wished he would just _go away_.

"How are you here?" she managed to squeak. "The gateways are broken!"

To her surprise, Jack just laughed. He seemed to have anticipated her reaction. "You don't have to sound so happy to see me. I'm using a projected form, and so are the others I brought with me..."

And behind Jack's broad shoulders emerged her brothers, Crispin and Tobias. Her face lit up in delight.

"Toby! Crispin!"

"Don't call me that..." grumbled Tobias.

She hugged Tobias and Crispin awkwardly, her large stomach getting in the way of just about everything.

"Wow, you're a whale," marveled Crispin. "You're going to be so fat! And you're never going to lose weight while taking care of the baby. On the plus side, your breasts are huge."

"Thanks, Crispin," Ana settled into the bed, taking in her brothers after almost nine months. "It feels like forever!"

"It's crazy with only Sophia being the only woman in the house," groaned Tobias. "The testosterone makes me sick. I can't imagine how _she_ feels..."

"Hey," protested Crispin. "There's always me!" Crispin was wearing a pink frilly dress that rivaled Eva's taste in lolita, and, as always, showed off his shapely legs.

Tobias raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."

Ana wished she could give them a crushing hug like the ones she used to back home, but she knew she couldn't. "It's so good to see you," she gushed.

Crispin examined his nails, smiling. "Childbirth is going to be a bitch."

"Thanks."

"Ignore him," said Tobias, resigned. "You'd think he'd have a little taste. Can you believe he's getting laid more than I am? No offense, but I can't believe _you're_ getting laid more than I am!"

"Once?" pointed out Crispin.

Tobias reddened. "I hate you."

"Glad to see you're still in your virginal state."

"Go die."

Crispin leaned in. "Tell me, what's it like? Living with _him?_"

"Who, Al?"

"FIrst name terms!" cried Crispin in despair. "And nicknames! My jealousy burns!"

Ana felt a pang at Al's name. She couldn't believe he wasn't here yet- he'd promised to come no matter how his health was. She knew it might be selfish, but she wanted him there.

A contraction hit, and she moaned. Shizuna shoved Crispin and Tobias out of the way to get to Ana. "We've got to get ready."

Jack slid out of the room muttering something about drinks, and Crispin joined him. Tobias stayed with Ana, holding her hand as they waited for the time between contractions to shorten.

Time inched by, hours passed, and the contractions got more and more painful. Jack and Crispin returned with drinks pilfered from Al's very large alcohol cabinet, talking like old friends. They'd hit it off when Jack had mentioned his love of lolita and Crispin had decided to show him his authentic undergarments. Ana didn't really want to think about things like that happening between her brother and the possible sperm donor of her child.

She wanted Albireo As much as she hated to admit it, it was Albireo she wanted by her side. He was only a couple rooms away, but it felt like an abyss. Even with the man she'd formally idolized right in front of her, there to help her give birth, she was still distracted. So when she heard Konoemon swear as he caught a wheelchair on the door, she was enormously relieved.

That was, until she realized what it meant. A wheelchair? Al was in a _wheelchair?_

Konoemon pushed the chair in quickly, showing amazing strength for a man his age.

Albireo looked terrible. There were deep bags under his deathly pale face, and his forehead was plastered with sweaty blue bangs. His hands were shaking as they gripped the arms of the chair, and he was draped in a blanket to futilely try to help him retain heat. Crispin looked horrified at the presentation of his life-long hero, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Sorry I'm late," said Al lightly, his voice completely calm. "This is all terrible timing. I'll have to go down to the roots soon, but I'll try an stay as long as I can."

He was talking about the roots of the World Tree, where he and the Lifemaker were sealed. Al had explained that in order to be at his strongest when the Lifemaker tried to break the seal he had to be at the base of it, and he had to do it at the opportune moment.

"Thanks for coming," she said weakly, aware that she too was dripping in sweat and miserable.

"Al!" boomed Jack. "You old idiot, you look awful!"

"At least I still have my good looks. I wish I could say the same thing for you."

Jack slapped Al on the back good-naturedly, and Ana winced. Albireo ignored it though, smiling creepily.

"You dog!" crowed Jack. "Think you can earn my sympathy?"

"You already have mine. You and Nagi managed to knock a girl up without even being present. Quite an accomplishment."

"Why than you!"

"You're incorrigible," sighed Al, smiling. He wheeled the wheelchair over to Ana, and she noted that it took him some time. The normal Albireo would have been capable of it in seconds.

Jack ostensibly decided to retrieve more booze, and Crispin had the sudden urge to accompany him. Again, only Tobias stayed.

Shizuna gave Al a worried look. "Imma-san, are you sure you want to be here? You're not looking so good."

"I'm fine," laughed Al, waving her concern away. "I'll live. Concentrate on Ana. It's not easy bringing a new life into this world. As long as I have lived I am still amazed by it."

Al didn't know why, but that statement made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. That was, until another contraction hit and she groaned in pain. In her misery she reached for Tobias' hand and held onto it for dear life. When she opened her eyes, however, she looked over to see that she was gripping Al's sweaty palm instead. He smiled at her from his chair and she realized how much more pain than she he was in.

"Al...if you need to go, then go," she rasped.

"How long has it been since the contractions started?" asked Al, ignoring her.

Ako answered him. "About nine hours."

"She's doing fairly well, isn't she?"

Ako hid her surprise and replied, "Yes, she is. I think we're getting close."

Al nodded. "I thought so. It should be another half an hour before she starts giving birth."

"A half hour, you say?"

"I've known a few pregnant women in my time," he smirked.

Al turned away suddenly. Ana dimly heard very muffled coughs, and in her semi-awareness (they'd administered drugs to her that made her sleepy and groggy but miraculously in so much less pain) she realized there was blood dripping down the hand he was coughing into.

"You're sick, you need to go..."

"I promised you, didn't I? This is _your_ moment. You are _giving birth. _Stop worrying about me."

"But-"

"I'm serious!"

Konoemon's eyes were trained on Al, but he made no move to interfere.

Ana would never be able to recall what happened in that last half hour. She remembered the grip of Al's hand and her brother's soothing voice. She could never remember if Jack was there, or if that was Crispin on Konoemon or Shizuna talking. Through the haze the only thing she could feel was the life about to burst out of her.

And damn, did it hurt.

* * *

Reviews are bittersweet love! :I


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

When she first saw her baby, her first thought was to wonder why it was so _red_. Then she smiled, because she immediantly knew whose baby it was.

"Congratulations, Jack," Ana heard herself say in a tired voice. "You're a father."

The baby was red and crying, but that couldn't hide the unmistakable blonde hair and dark skin of a member of the Hellas race.

"Unless Nagi had a secret he wasn't telling us," shrugged Jack, grinning. "Although I'll have to admit, this is a good feeling. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get the actual sex out of it."

Ana blushed and changed the subject. "I should name her..." She glanced at Albireo, whose eyes were open but appeared to be in a daze. He blinked and saw her thoughtful look.

"No, thank you," he rasped quickly. "I have seen too many namesakes die. It is too painful."

"Sorry for even thinking it...I had so much time, why can't I think of anything?"

Ako fidgeted a little, but Jack cut off any impending speech. "How about Jacobus?" he boomed.

"No thanks...she _is_ a girl."

"Hey, you were thinking of Al, that's a man's name."

"Albireo is a little more girly," confessed Ana. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed that Albireo's response was to smile, which broke off as he suppressed a cough.

She stroked the side of the tiny face, wailing loudly. Her beautiful baby girl. _Her_ baby girl. It was surreal, the idea she could have possibly given birth to a human life.

"Nugi, Nigi, Nogi..." muttered Ako.

"What?"

Ako looked startled. "There seem to be a lot of those, Negi and Nagi, so I thought another one..."

"Um, no thank you."

She thought about names she liked. "How does Lalah sound?"

Al perked up. "What did you say?" His bloodshot eyes were wide with astonishment.

"Lalah? Is that all right?" she repeated, worried.

"It's...fine. You just...surprised me a bit."

"Lalah Haruna Carus," she whispered. Lalah responded by crying loudly.

Konoemon spoke for the first time in a long while. "Al, we need to go."

Al nodded slowly. "Yes." The tone was calm, but everyone in the room could sense the pain behind it.

Al reached for the arms of the wheelchair, but his hands were shaking too much for him to get a solid grip. "Looks like this is about it for me," he announced cheerily. Ako, the only one out of the loop, looked quite frightened. "I'll see you in a little while."

Ana waved goodbye, holding her precious baby in her arms. She had a life to protect now, and that knowledge made life a little scarier to think about. She was responsible for this little girl's life now, and she couldn't let her down.

She was scared. What if she didn't have the strength? Even as she smiled along with Jack, she wanted Al to be there in these first moments.

* * *

As soon as they had shut the door behind them, Albireo out a long, hacking cough.

"As much as I love to see a baby born," said Konoemon slowly. "You have your health to consider. You know how much more dangerous this is going to be because you waited."

"I know."

"And you're my elder, so I don't wait to lecture you..." hesitated Konoemon before saying, "That was stupid! What the hell were you thinking, pulling that stunt?"

"I promised her. I don't break promises, not anymore."

Al sounded so unbelievably tired that Konoemon couldn't bring himself to berate him anymore. He slouched again, and this time he could see his chest shake.

He pushed the wheelchair towards the roots of the tree, wondering how they could possibly get the wheelchair down the steps. He was having enough trouble as it was not jostling Al, whose calmness was very, very fake.

"We should hurry," said Al suddenly, the fake saccharine still in his voice.

"What happened?" asked Konoemon urgently.

Even as Al spoke, thin trails of blood dripped down his chin, and when he opened his mouth it was sticky and red. When he spoke his voice was slurred from the gore in his mouth. "My organs are rupturing."

"How long do you have?"

"We need to get down there now," Al's smile was still plastered on his face, but his eyes were glazed. "Please...it..." For the first time, his voice faltered. "It hurts."

Albireo Imma admitting his pain told Konoemon just how bad this was. "I'll hurry. Is there an elevator?"

"No. I don't care; just push me down the stairs." His voice cracked on the last word, prompting Konoemon to put his back into getting Al to the roots of the World Tree as soon as physically possible.

"How do you get down here when you're by yourself?"

"I walk. I usually go down a few days in advance."

Konoemon was glad he couldn't see Al's face as he rolled him down the stairs. One of Albireo's greatest annoyances was for others to see him in pain, and Konoemon had no doubt that even he was showing a few signs of it.

Konoemon knew they had arrived at their destination when he saw the plain wooden door that led to the rooms at the root of the World Tree. These rooms were well-furnished and airy, like everything in Al's home, but they held the unmistakable feel of being boxed in, something only to be expected in being so deep underground.

Konoemon opened the door and immediately got to work, trying to ignore the blood leaking out of Al's eyes.

"Let the fun begin." said Al.

Konoemon only wished he was that calm.

* * *

I am such a sadist to anime characters. :D

Reviews are love! :)


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

Children were hell. Whoever said otherwise deserved to be dumped into a lake strapped to blocks of concrete.

That's not to say Ana didn't love Lalah- whenever she was asleep or quiet she couldn't help gazing at her baby and wonder how she could have possibly created a life so beautiful. That was when she was asleep. When she was awake she cried and pooped and then did it all over again. After two weeks, Ana was just about ready to explode. She'd seen enough diapers for a lifetime, and it had only been a fortnight.

Jack and Crispin were no help, as they'd become bosom friends and continued to vanish on a regular basis. Jack refused to help her, saying that she should wipe her own ass. She wanted to pointed out it wasn't _her_ ass they were wiping. Tobias helped her as much as a virgin boy who was only good with mechanics could, and Shizuna and Paru stopped by to help her get a little sleep sometimes.

She hadn't seen Al since Lalah had been born. Konoemon always stopped by on his way to take care of Al and claimed he was doing better, but Ana was still worried. So when Konoemon poked in the door and smiled, Ana couldn't help but nervously return it.

"Has anything new happened?" she asked hopefully.

"Al is up, and he wants to see you. Bring Lalah, if you can."

She followed the old man down flight after flight of stairs. "How far down are we going? Lalah's going to start crying."

True to her word, Lalah chose the moment to wail loudly, and Konoemon winced. "I'm glad my children weren't like that."

"Maybe naming her after Haruna wasn't such a great idea..."

They finally reached a plain door, which Konoemon unlocked with expertise. The air, while cool and filtered, was somehow stifling, and Ana knew she was deep underground as she gazed at the well-furnished room.

He led her to a private bedroom, where Albireo was sitting, reading in bed. Her face broke into a smile at the sight of him, and he smirked in return.

"It's good to see you too," he said, his voice quiet. Upon closer inspection, his face had a sickly pallor. Ana hoped this didn't mean Al was getting worse.

"Al," she said. "I want you to meet someone." She approached Al's bed, glad to see that his pale arms were free of any magical seals.

She handed Lalah to Al, and he held her with experienced arms. "She's beautiful," he said kindly, words he had said to every single mother of his child since the second century. Lalah was a pretty enough baby now that she was two weeks old. No newborn is adorable, no matter what anyone says.

"There's no doubt about it, she's Jack's," said Al, smiling. "Look at that blonde hair."

Konoemon cleared his throat. "I need to talk to you about that, Ana."

"Um, yes?"

Konoemon tugged his ear awkwardly. "This may sound like an odd question, but you are half-demon, correct?"

"A quarter, actually."

"Do you know what race of demon?"

Ana thought. "Mostly Hellas, with a little Zephyrian."

"Do you remember when I had a DNA test taken a few weeks back? We got the results back."

"_And?"_ asked Ana impatiently.

"It's not Jack's, it's Nagi," said Konoemon in a voice as bewildered as she felt. "Apparently those Hellas genes are recessive. Nagi may have some far back in his genes too, but we can't ask him."

Ana sat down, and Lalah gurgled at her. Al handed her back before bursting into laughter.

Well, shit. Was was Jack going to think?

* * *

Reviews are love! :)


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

It turned out that Jack didn't care. He claimed that he'd already known and was just helping out, and promised to stick around for a little while, although Ana knew he just wanted to hang out with Crispin and Chamo more. She sometimes wondered if Jack knew Crispin was a guy.

Now that Negi knew he had a younger sibling, he was always stopping by to nervously say hi and ogle Lalah, who seemed to like Negi a lot. Negi could always be counted on to help make her stop crying.

Al was finally back, and really did seem to be doing better. He also seemed in good cheer, and she found out why when Negi mentioned the Mahora Festival. It was the only time a year that Albireo ever got to leave the World Tree, even if it was in hologram form, so naturally Al was looking forward to it. Jack, Crispin and Tobias decided to stick around until the festival rolled around, which was in about a month.

Lalah would only be a month and a half then, and Ana was afraid of taking her outside for too long. Shizuna had said that babies needed to be exposed to germs so they could build up immunity, so Ana was planning to take her to the Festival at least two days. She wished she could get a babysitter for the third day so she could enjoy the festival by herself (or maybe even with Al!), but she knew that would be difficult, considering how huge this festival was.

She also really wanted to get a few weight-lifts, because Al's rich food combined with her pregnancy fat was really quite noticeable. Tobias had bought a few, why she couldn't guess, considering his arms were prosthetic.

"Can I hold her?"

Ana was shaken out of her reverie by Negi, who had taken time out of his busy schedule to come visit her. She was glad he did, because there was no way a ten year-old boy like him could possibly keep up with all he did and stay completely sane. She was finding him more and more adorable by the day, and she attributed that to her motherly instincts. It was strange to think that one day Lalah was be ten years old like Negi.

Ana handed Lalah to Negi, and Negi cradled her as gently as possible. "She's so beautiful," he whispered, and when he said it Ana could imagine that he was being honest.

"She looks nothing like you," said Ana, smiling. "Maybe we should to a retest."

"I can't imagine my father's reaction when he finds out he has another child while he wasn't even in this world," pointed out Negi earnestly. "I wonder what he'll say."

"Probably the same as Jack," snorted Ana. "Lamenting that he wasn't the one who actually got the sex."

Negi tried not to smile at that. "Yeah, that does seem like what I know of father. I still can't believe I have a half-sister."

"I can't believe I'm a mother," confessed Ana cheerily. "It seems so crazy to me."

"It seems so hard. You're very strong, Carus-san."

"Call me Ana. We'll be seeing a lot of each other now that you have a sister, right?"

Negi held her close. "I'll try to visit as much as I can, but you know how busy I am..."

"Busy saving the world and all that," chuckled Ana. "I understand. I'll somehow manage without you."

"...You're starting to remind me of Colonel-san..." grumbled Negi. Ana wasn't sure whether to be insulted or pleased, so she just laughed. Maybe she _was_ spending too much time with Al.

* * *

So, Negi actually made an appearance! Go me! Reviews are love! :)


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

This is an important chapter! Yay! We're getting close to the end! Yay! ...This chapter was basically "See how many Negima class 3-A characters Luxa can fit into a chapter!" chapter...XD

Enjoy! :)

* * *

"Wow...the festival's beautiful, isn't it, Lalah?"

Lalah didn't answer her, but she wasn't offended. Ana was worried about when Lalah could speak and get the better of her poor dumb mother.

Ana was amazed at the Mahora festival. She had known it was a huge campus, but the festivities here could almost match those at Ostia. There were booths and robots and dinosaurs and dragons everywhere, and the citizens casually dismissed it all as CGI. Or they would have, if Negi hadn't slowly been destroying the masquerade. People were beginning to take note of the magic permeating the air around them.

"Would you like to come to our circus?"

It was one of Negi's students, the very quiet demon one. Ana accepted a flyer with a smile.

"I'd like to," said Ana. "But I don't know if I'll be able to. I have my baby with me, you see."

Zazie pointed towards a large brick building and Ana got the impression that she should go there. She thanked her, and continued pushing her stroller in the direction of the building.

A few people glanced at her as she passed them, and she stared at the stroller. Although people at Mahora were usually nice about it, she could still hear whispers about her, and it hurt. She hurried on and arrived at the building, where Natsumi happened to be, handing out flyers.

"Oh, hello, Ana-san," she greeted. "What's up?"

"What's in this building? Zazie wanted me to come here."

"Oh, this is the daycare for parents who wanted a little time to themselves."

Ana smiled. "I guess Zazie is trying to tell me something. I'm a little nervous about someone else taking care of my baby, though."

Natsumi shook her head. "Don't be! Chizu-nee is running it, and she's got every certification to taking care of children there is. She's the gentlest, most caring person ever," She suddenly got a look of fear on her face that didn't match the description whatsoever. "Gentle...wonderful...leeks..."

"Leeks?"

"Don't catch a cold around her. Just..._don't_. Other than that, she's amazing."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, very sure, she loves children and she's great with children. She's going to become a kindergarten teacher." Natsumi reassured her hurriedly.

"I'll probably see if I can do that, but I'll wait a little. I want to show Lalah a little of the festival first."

Natsumi beamed. "Be sure to check out the drama club, and have fun at your first Mahorafest!"

"Thanks." Ana hoped she could find her way back to this building. It was big, but this festival was even bigger.

She hadn't seen anything of Al since they'd gotten there. He hadn't mentioned what he'd be doing, either, so there was no way to find him. She pushed Al out of her mind and tried to enjoy the sights and sounds around her.

"Nagi-man?" offered a street vender. Ana looked over and saw a scantily-dressed woman with cat ears and tail winking at her.

"You have those here? But those are only from the..." She glanced around. "...The Magic World. How did you know where I was from?"

"Your ears. Most would think they were cosplay, but I can tell. Is that your baby girl?"

"Yeah," said Ana shyly. "I'll take a Nagi-man."

"She's cute. Here you go, one Nagi-man. Unless she's old enough to eat one?"

"Not yet," smiled Ana, paying for the sweet. She ate it as they walked. The trees were as green as they could get, and she walked past brawlers in the street and couples making out and dancers dancing and people being happy in general. It was strange to see such a crowd of people after living months in isolation with Albireo.

There was a bright light in front of her, and she blinked. When she opened her eyes she saw the smiling face of another one of Negi's students.

"Hello...Asakura-san, right?"

"Call me Kazumi," said Kazumi, adjusting the lens on her camera. "Smile!"

Ana smiled just in time. "Wow, I've never seen an Old World camera before. Is it true, you really can't make the pictures move?"

"If you make a movie you can," grinned Kazumi, snapping a picture of Lalah. "This is an old camera. Sometimes I like to work with the classics instead of the digital."

"That's really cool. You don't have memory movies, though, do you?"

"No, our movies come out of our imaginations instead."

Ana rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. So do ours."

Kazumi leaned over Lalah's stroller. "Aw, can I take a picture of her?"

"Of course. Isn't she cute?" beamed Ana.

"Very," Kazumi snapped a couple pictures. "You should check out Class 3-A's booth this year, we're doing a cosplay cafe."

"Wow, I've never been to one of those before."

"It's very unique. We're all dressing up as characters from the seventies and eighties, with a concentration on sweaty old men."

"...Oh. Is it doing well?"

"So far, so good. With the Akamatsu Harem Quotient out of this story, we can do whatever we want without worrying about our clothing falling off, and I don't have to dress like a hooker anymore. I gotta go take more pictures, bye!" Kazumi bounced off, and Ana called, "I'll check out the cafe!"

She decided to would check Lalah into the daycare. If she liked it, she would use some of Konoemon's allowance to pay for it and check out class 3-A's cafe, and then the Budokai, since a lot of Negi's students would be in it this year. Even as she walked around the festival she hear people excitedly wondering if last year's winner, the mysterious Colonel Sanders, would show up again. This made Ana smile, because Al had told her he had much better things to do and enjoy while he was above ground.

The daycare turned out to be as excellent as Natsumi had promised, and Ana was okay with dropping her off there, glad to have some free time of her own. She wandered off, free for the first time in weeks. She browsed the booths and stores and club events until she reached the Class 3-A cafe, barely managing to dodge a "CGI" dinosaur.

"Welcome!" greeted a tall, blonde teenager dressed like Toshiro Mifune from The Seven Samurai. "I'm Ayaka, where would you like to...oh, hello, Ana, it's good to see you," She and Ayaka had met briefly, when she had come down to discuss business with Al. "Where would you like to sit?"

"Anywhere is fine." Ana looked around and saw that all the girls were indeed dressed like sweaty old men.

"How about with me?" said a creepy, male, very familiar voice. Ana let out a stifled scream and whipped around to see Al leering at her from under a hood.

"If it's not trouble..."

"It's never trouble for _you_, Anastasia."

Albireo sure could be creepy when he wanted, and Ana hoped with all her might that it was a joke. Or did she? She wasn't sure how she felt about Albireo Imma.

Apparently it didn't matter, because Al was unusually serious once they sat down. It looked like he wasn't going to let Ana entertain fantasies about him anymore. "Ana, we need to talk." He had his smile on his face, but it was melancholy.

"About what?"

Al ignored her question. "Please let me say first that I may be assuming more that I ought, or that I'm being awfully presumptuous. If that's the case, I beg your forgiveness."

"What are you talking about, Al?"

"How do you feel about me, Ana?" Al's expression was unfathomable, and she could only guess what he was thinking.

"You're my friend, and you...you've been very kind to me and Lalah. I'm very grateful for that." she managed.

"No, Ana, I'm asking how you _feel_."

"O-Oh," she stammered. "W-Well, I like you, you know. A-A lot, but there's Lalah, so i've tried not to...to get my hopes up or anything like that, so, I mean, it's not important."

He sighed. "Damn it."

"What?"

"See, there's a problem," he said cheerily, his eyes sad. "I like you too. But it's not either of our best interests to start anything."

"But...why? Why do you like me?"

"Because I'm lonely, and you're pretty and nice," he replied honestly. "A real girl is much more substantial than paper. But you're too young for me."

"I'll live more than a hundred years," she argued. "I-"

"You will _always_ be too young for me," he replied, his smile tight with grief. "I am too selfish to fall in love anymore. I can't bear to lose another lover, another wife. So please, forget about me. We can live together as long as you need, but please try to forget about me, for my sake."

"Are you sure?"

"You can spend the rest of your life with me, but I can't do the same, Ana. It's not fair to either of us."

Ana swallowed hard. "So it's not because of Lalah?" She tried to memorize his deep blue eyes, his thick blue hair, his slim fingers, because she feared she would never see them again, not like this.

He shook his head. "Of course not," He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. "Lalah's beautiful, just like her mother."

"Thank you." breathed Ana.

"No, thank _you_."

An he was gone, shimmering out her sight despite the tears in her eyes.

* * *

Paru, Ako, Natsumi, Ayaka, Zazie, and Kazumi are the only members of Class 3-A to actually make it to this fic...and this chapter basically ends any Al/Ana there was in this fic. Whoops. Guess I don't know how to write romance.

Reviwes are love! :)


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

Ana struggled not to cry as she pushed the stroller down the street, tearing her gaze away from the World Tree. Grant your love, her ass. She was going to head to a quiet place where she could nurse Lalah and go back underground, where no one could disturb her.

"Anastasia-san?"

She jumped in surprise. That voice sounded familiar, like she'd heard it on TV or something. She turned and tried not to stare. It was Eishun Konoe! She tried not to grin a little at meeting the last member of Ala Rubra. She'd met a whole lot of living legends recently.

Eishun smiled at her, and she blurted, "Wow, you're a lot older now."

His brow furrowed slightly, but he continued smiling. "I'm one of the only member of Ala Rubra to naturally age. Maybe that's it?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm sure that's it, I'm sorry," she corrected, flustered. "Did you want something?"

"Could I speak to you for a bit?"

She followed him to a table and they had tea. Ana wondered if Al liked this kind of tea, but pushed the thought from her mind.

"You wanted to talk to me?" She hoped this talk wouldn't be anything like the last one.

"Yes. As I understand, you are currently unemployed?"

"Ah, yes, I am," she replied hastily, the question a surprise. "Why?"

"I was wondering if you'd like a job as ambassador between the Magic World, the Old World, and my Shinmei School. I've been talking with Konoemon. you'd have to move to Kyoto, but it would be satisfying work, and you'd get to meet a lot of people."

"Why me?"

"I've been informed that you're capable of befriending all kinds of people-"

"-Awkwardly," she cut in.

"-But befriending them nonetheless. You have good relationships with several leading figures from both worlds. It would be quite beneficial to you. We'd provide you and your daughter with lodging, and your daughter could attend our school and learn the way of the sword. It would be a substantial paycheck, and it would look good for us to have a Magic world citizen on staff."

"How do you know I'm qualified?"

"I've been told you possess extraordinary reading skills," said Eishun. "With that comprehensive skill combined with your attitude, I'm sure we can work something out."

Ana bit her lip. She had no reason to stay in Mahora, not now that Al had so obviously rejected her. She glanced at Lalah, and knew the answer. It was for Lalah, for her future.

"Yes, I'll do it, Konoe-san," grinned Ana. "Thank you so much for the opportunity."

Eishun sipped his tea. "I'm glad you accepted."

It was his last serious moment, because two seconds later he got glomped by his daughter.

* * *

Ana now officially has a future! Whoo-hoo!

Reviews are love! :)


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.

The last chapter! XD Did any of you make it to the end? Cudos to those who did! :)

Enjoy! :)

* * *

"I can't believe this is our last dinner together," said Ana quietly. "It's been almost a year."

"You've been good company, Ana. Thank you for that."

She smiled. "You've paid me back with these great dinners of yours." She swallowed a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

He sipped at his tea. "I'm sorry for being so brutal before. I was just flustered."

"Why?"

"I realized how much I liked you," he chuckled. "And I got scared."

She blushed, embarrassed. "I don't see why."

"No special reason. You can't always choose who you're attracted to." He had be truthful when he said his loneliness was part of the reason, but that wouldn't help her self-esteem any.

Eishun poked his head in the doorway. "Are you almost ready, Ana-san?"

"Just give me a minute," she called. "Al..."

"Yes?"

"If you were...like the rest of us...would you, you know, give us a try?"

He raised his teacup. "I probably would," he lied. If he was mortal, he would have died two thousand years ago in Egypt.

She stood up. "I better be going." She hesitantly walked towards the door.

"Goodbye, Ana."

"Goodbye, Albireo."

She was halfway out the door before he caught up with her. She froze just long enough for him to kiss her on the forehead.

"I'm glad I met you, Ana. You'll do fine in Kyoto."

"I hope you can leave the island soon. I hope...I hope I'll get to see you again."

"I'll be around."

He ran a hand through her red hair, and she smile wistfully. It made his heart twang with sadness, of red-heads he had known before and loss and his dead families through the ages. She left, and he pulled out a book and drank his tea.

Even the most contrived love story could still be interesting.

He chuckled. Like hell it could.

* * *

Anastasia Carus went on to become a bear trainer for Mother Russia. Lalah Carus became a stripper, dancing alongside the Nuns of Mahora, the name of her bar. Misora Kasuga was one of her best friends. Jack Rakan and Crispin Carus had an August wedding. Tobias Carus did not die a virgin- he frequented the Nuns of Mahora. Sophia and Alex Carus lived happily until they died, watching their sons Keitaro and Keniichi both spawn their own harems. Negi died of herpes.

The End. :)


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